We had the good fortune of connecting with NaKeisha J Dawkins and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi NaKeisha J, every day, we about how much execution matters, but we think ideas matter as well. How did you come up with the idea for your business?

The idea for my business started with a friend telling me she needed to be able to text her therapist as life happens. I told her to write down what happened and her reactions to her experiences. I realized at that moment, she probably was not the only one and others needed a tool to help them navigate their behavioral therapy experience. From there, the work on the Self-Care Over Everything Therapy workbook began.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
For years, it was frowned upon for people of color to talk about their mental health issues or to mention they attend therapy. My brand is driven by my personal passion to ensure people are using the resources they have available to them as it relates to mental health. I’m an advocate of going to therapy and working through your issues with a professional. Recognizing I wanted to help more people get over their initial intimidation of going to therapy, I created the Self-Care Over Everything workbook. After researching I realized with all the journals and affirmation books on the market, there isn’t one that complements behavioral therapy experiences. I used my skills as an Analyst to fill a gap within the mental health space.

My journey thus far as been quite rewarding, I’ve had the opportunity to focus 100% of my efforts to my business. I took the step to join a cohort to help me overcome my challenges and guide me in the right direction as it relates to my business. What I love about this group is all of the ladies are in different stages of their business, we can learn from one another and know we are not alone in the challenges we face as business owners. I’ve learned to celebrate every step of the process. All those tiny steps turn in to BIG milestones and they are worthy of recognition.

Self-Care Over Everything exists because I decided to follow my heart to create something I feel the world needed. The brand is here to promote therapy as a form of self-care, educate on how to maximize mental health benefits, and provide workbooks to help you along your mental health journey. We are all caterpillars transforming into the beautiful butterflies we are destined to be.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
We are definitely hitting up some food restaurants! I’m the only one of my friends who doesn’t eat meat and I love to expose them to foods I like to eat.

Night 1; We’re eating in staying up most of the night catching up. We’d order takeout and play culture tags, lyrically correct, & buzzed.
Day 2: We’re taking the kids to Epic waters or six flags and we’d have dinner from the Vegan Food House
Day 3: SHOPPING – Everyone loves a little retail therapy. We’d hit the Galleria Mall, have lunch and Grand Luxe and conclude our shopping close to home at the Outlets of Grand Prairie.
Day 4: We have all sparked a new love for Skating; so we’d lace up our skate at Roller World in Grand Prairie
Day 5: Just before the trip ends we must take a trip to the Spa Castle for some relaxation and then dinner at Itso Vegan.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I like to dedicate my shoutout to my daughters McKenzie and Braelynn. My mom, Petry Vann, The Dawkins family & friends in Memphis,TN
The SQUAD; Decarlas & Deja
Nina – My CEO (Chief Encouragement Officer), my “Gayle”, my sister, my business partner, my right hand
My success strategist, Dr. Stacia Alexander
And the beautiful ladies of the Emotionality of Success Cohort

Website: www.selfcarewins.com

Instagram: @therapyisselfcare

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nakeisha-j-dawkins-7804513/

Facebook: www.facebook.com/selfcareovereverything

Image Credits
Lauren Bethany Photography

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutDFW is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.